Attacks such as the 9/11 attack has caused a major shift in focus with respect to emergency response. Most notably is the need for backup and emergency communications, especially during catastrophic disasters when existing commercial infrastructure often fails or is not available. As the 9/11 commission final report outlines, there are two key communication issues that need to be addressed. The first issue is the compatibility of communication equipment between different agencies and different jurisdictions (e.g. city and state). The second issue is the availability of communication networks in the event of the destruction of city infrastructure.
Accordingly, what is desired is a backup and/or redundant communications system that addresses the compatibility and availability issues for emergency response.